Disney's Frozen 2 went through several changes with its characters, and one particular alteration saved the film from a creepy addition. Frozen 2 (2019) was a wildly successful follow-up to Disney's breakout 2013 hit. The sequel brought back fan-favorite characters Elsa (Idina Menzel), Anna (Kristen Bell), and Olaf (Josh Gad) for a new adventure to learn more about Elsa's magic and the family's mysterious past. Oscar-winning songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez also returned to deliver a "Let It Go" follow-up with Elsa's "Into The Unknown." Though the Frozen 2 reviews were mixed, the film surpassed sky-high expectations, bringing in around $1.5 billion at the box office.
In addition to the returning cast, Frozen 2 brought in several new voices and characters. Evan Rachel Wood brings Queen Iduna to life, and Alfred Molina lends his talents to King Agnarr. Additionally, Elsa discovers the Northuldrans living in an Enchanted Forest north of Arendelle. These characters include Rachel Matthews' Honeymaren and Jason Ritter's Ryder. The film also has several non-speaking elementals, including Gale, the Wind Spirit, and Bruni, the Fire Spirit.
Frozen 2 went through several changes during its development process, including removing a disturbing feature from one character. In Disney's Art of Frozen 2, the filmmakers note that creating the Wind Spirit was an interesting challenge for the movie. Production Designer Michael Giaimo revealed that the wind almost had a unique look. "When we first started designing the Wind Spirit, we thought it might sometimes form an identifiable face, but we moved away from that," Giaimo said. The production designer added, "It's not anthropomorphic; it's nature." As a result, the Frozen 2 creators saved the story from potentially weird scenes by getting away from the wind forming a face.
Giving the wind a face could've been bizarre. The Frozen 2 filmmakers put a lot of thought into portraying the elemental spirits. For instance, Art of Frozen 2 explains the salamander is connected to fire in some European folklore. And the creature's name, Bruni, is an anagram for "I Burn." With that in mind, it'd be odd to anthropomorphize the wind and give it a solid-looking form, and there could be the chance to cross over into the uncanny valley if it's too human-like. Clearly, the filmmakers learned that quickly. Giving the wind a face could've been an odd distraction in the film at best and a creepy addition at worst.
In the end, Frozen 2 portrays the spirit in an appropriately playful way. In Art of Frozen 2, Mark Henn, an animator on the film, explained that the filmmakers focused on the effects caused by the wind and did several tests to get it right. For example, instead of giving the wind a human-like face, fireweed plants and leaves outline the spirit, giving it life but still allowing it to maintain elemental form. Throughout the film, the wind carries plants as it swishes and swirls around Elsa and Anna, interacting with the characters and showcasing emotion. And all the while, Frozen 2 still saves face.